Mercedes A-class facelift unveiled

Mercedes has revealed the facelifted version of the A-class. The new car gets styling tweaks on the interior as well as exterior, along with extra features and minor updates to the engines as well.

Styling changes to the facelifted A-class includes a redesigned front bumper, optional LED head-lamps, restyled tail-lamps, integrated exhausts and the Mercedes diamond grille is now standard across all varaints.

Inside, the new A-class gets a large 8-inch touchscreen on the higher variants with Apple Carplay and Mirrorlink software for smartphone integration. The cabin also features use of new materials and interior colour choices. The top trims also get the option of ambient lighting.

Under the hood, the A180 diesel’s engine has been tweaked to improve mileage as well as reduce emissions. The larger A220 diesel gets added power with output now rated at 175bhp instead of the earlier 168bhp.

The diesel models now bear Mercedes’ new nomenclature with the CDI badge being replaced by a ‘d’ at the end of the model variant. Therefore, the A180 CDI is now the A180d while the A220 CDI becomes the A220d. In following with this norm, the current A200 CDI on offer in India is expected to be rebadged as A200d.

The high performance A45 AMG gets the most notable tweaks with the engine output bumped up by 21bhp, to 376bhp. The seven-speed double-clutch automatic transmission has also been modified to offer faster shifts.

Mercedes is also offering the facelifted A-class with the company’s Dynamic Select system with three modes – Eco, Sport and Comfort. The system uses adaptive dampers to allow the driver to adjust the suspension settings. The Dynamic Select sytem is optional to all models expect for the Sport trim which gets the feature as standard. The Sport trim also gets the choice of a 7G-DCT double clutch automatic transmission.

As for features, reverse parking camera is now standard across the range, while the Sport trim get the addition of climate control as well.

The facelifted A-class goes on sale internationally in July with deliveries starting in September. Expect the facelifted car to make its way to India soon after its international launch. It must however be noted that the facelifted A-class is expected to carry-on using its existing engines for the Indian market.